It's been a while since the last Relationship Problems update. Let's talk for a moment, shall we? This chapter right here was an interesting one for me. I wanted to take it in two different directions, but in the end, what I chose here ultimately won out. Please enjoy the read and stick around for the authors notes at the end. I'd like to share my thoughts in more detail.

Oh, and one last thing before we begin. There's a new poll on my profile. Would you like to see more of Jessie in my stories? Cast your vote and let me know!

Blondie – Part XI

There were some things beyond doubt – certain feelings that were too hard to deny. Above all else, one thing held priority. The road seldom travelled sometimes held the most unexpected rewards. That had become all too clear in the recent months, especially after going through so many hardships. It finally felt as though a sense of closure waited on the horizon.

Today was a new day – one that Mike planned to use to its fullest. Fingers outstretched, he caressed the side of Tiffany's cheek, watching her, bare and beautiful as she wriggled beneath the thin sheets. Her eyes sparkled like rare gemstones, accompanying her soft, compassionate smile.

"Hey you," she giggled, linking her arm around the singer's bicep, laying headlong across his toned chest. "Last night was… amazing… but for someone with such a lovely voice… you snore like a bear."

Talk about surprising – Mikey couldn't help but chuckle at that – focused on the delicate whitish-grey paintwork of the bedroom ceiling. "First time anyone's ever said something like that to be before. I don't snore… not that I know of anyway."

"You so totally do… but I don't mind or anything. I've really enjoyed staying over so much these past couple of weeks."

Again with the teasing – it brought a warm glow to the heart. The thought of waking up to this every morning felt nice, appealing to say the very least. Leaning in, Mike gave a gentle peck on the lips, brushing a strand of lone blonde hair aside to appreciate the features of his love to their fullest.

"Wait a minute." A stray thought hit home – causing him to turn in search for the clock on the back wall. "It's ten in the morning…. Damn…. I'm sorry sweetheart… but I really need to get up. I've got things to do."

"Awwww."

Here Miss Maye was again, bringing on the pouty face like a lost puppy – those quivering blue eyes were so disarming it was dangerous. "Please stay in bed a little longer," she whined lovingly, "I don't have classes this morning… and the football game's not until six tonight. I know! Why don't we cuddle up and watch a DVD before you go?"

Unfortunately, that was exactly why he had to leave – cutesy face or not. "I'm afraid I can't. I've got to meet the guys… last minute practice before the show tonight. I mean, damn…. There's gonna be a few thousand football fans watching us out there."

Tiffany's expression turned – becoming just the slightest bit more serious. "You're meeting my mom after the game tonight, too. You haven't forgotten, have you? Nutmeg Cafe."

No – he hadn't, but at the same time she hadn't mentioned the venue until now. "We're meeting her for coffee? We're not going back to your place or something?"

A shake of the head, simple yet abrupt, put his mind to rest. "No… I decided to make it somewhere a little less personal."

She was worried; it didn't take the world's brightest man in the world to figure that out. He'd known her long enough to pick up on a few of her quirks. The way she frowned like that – and the nervous twiddling of the fingers.

"It'll all go down just fine." Taking Tiffany into his arms, Mike treasured her warmth, placing the lightest of kisses upon her forehead. Not breaking eye contact with her for a second, he brought a hand downward, slipping it around her slender waist.

"If you're concerned I'll leave the wrong kind of impression then don't be…. I'll be on my best behaviour. We're talking one-hundred percent gentleman."

Though small, at least his sentiment was enough to clear away the gloomy clouds hanging over their tender moment.

"I know you'll be fine, Mikey. Honestly? It's her I'm worried about. Last time I went back home she said a few weird things… upset me a little."

Remaining quiet, eyes thoughtful and caring, the musician sat back. "Go on. If you need to vent I'm right here."

"Well," at first Tiffany was a little too quiet, twiddling her thumbs until she finally plugged back in – looking to be lost in thought. "She kept talking about this guy she met a little while ago…. It's not that I'm surprised or anything… but it's the way she went into detail about it all."

"So apparently he was some young musician… about the same age as me. She met him a while back and they went out drinking together. Smooth talker, real soft and caring…. Being gross as usual, she told me about how good he was in bed… and since then it's been the same thing. She thinks I need a guy like that… somebody that'll give me a good time…."

Squeezing Mike tightly, letting out a sharp, annoyed sigh, the cheerleader rolled her eyes. "That's so typical… I'm not like her at all. Sex doesn't solve problems…. Heck… if her lifestyle's anything to go by, I can tell you now… it makes things worse."

"I'm happy with the person I have," Tiffany clarified, much to Mike's quiet relief. "I don't need her telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. What's worse… she told me this poor guy's down on his luck. He doesn't know what he's getting himself into."

Content to let the all too similar parallels of his own life rest easy, Winters ran through the possibilities in his head. A little optimism would do nicely here. If anything, his recent run of good luck was proof enough that being hopeful paid off sometimes.

"A musician? Here's hoping it's not someone I've met in the the local club scene…. Anyhow, you know her best… Maybe there's a reason for it. Could she care about him? You'd be surprised how crazy unconventional love is these days."

"Love? Huh…"

A dark frown overtook the pigtailed beauty's features, bringing back the tension all over again. "You really think so? I mean… there's one thing she told me time and again. It's stuck with me ever since I was little…."

The hostility easing, Mike could do little more than watch as his lovely lady seemed to drift back, lost again in thought. The more they talked about things like this, the clearer it became just how deep the conflicted waters ran between Miss Maye and her mysterious mother figure.

"She always said that nobody tries to understand her – and they never did when she was younger, either. No one knows how hard it was when I was living at home... watching her tear up drinking a martini after she got home from work. Dang… I tried to give her time Mikey, especially when I was in sophomore year, really I did… but all the things she's-"

Oh no – tears – tiny watery crystals leaking from Tiffany's eyes. Moving fast, Mikey inched closer to wipe them away with the edge of his finger, holding her tighter to show his support. He couldn't have her crying right now.

"If this is too much for you then stop, don't get yourself upset. We've both got a busy day ahead, you with the cheer squad and me with the band…. The last thing you need is to start feeling torn up."

"No," her insistence, despite being overwhelmed, shone through. "It's important. Especially since you'll see her for yourself today."

Resting against Mike's shoulder, the delicate flower continued – eyes awash with as much compassion as sadness.

"She's a thirty-six year old woman that acts like she's eighteen… and the bad kind of eighteen at that. Heck, Audrey's met her and she thinks she's great… but if that's really the reason she acts this way… because she feels misunderstood…. I dunno…"

There was only one thing for it – especially after seeing Tiffany so upset. Determined to turn things around, Mikey gave her a short peck on the cheek. "Hold onto me, okay?"

A loud squeal bounced off the bedroom walls as he brought two strong arms around her, scooping her up light as a feather. Wide-eyed protest and shocked wriggling were what the singer was rewarded with as he got up, and made for the bedroom door.

"W- What's the big idea?" Tiffany called out, stuck in an amusing midpoint between shock and red-faced chuckles. "Put me down, silly... You must think I'm heavy…."

"The big idea? Well, honey… I can't stand seeing you looking so effing sad… Allow me to escort you to the couch and we'll watch a movie like you wanted… You can choose whatever you like."

"HEY!" Again, there came a surprised squeak, her body tensing in playful resistance. "Get your hand away from there, mister! If I didn't know any better I'd say you were using this as an excuse to touch me up."

Yet it didn't seem as though she was too unhappy about it - her spacey blue eyes and glowing red cheeks certainly showed a dash of enthusiasm.

Not only that, but she'd left herself open to be caught in his charming web. "Well…. If I remember rightly, miss… last night it was you making grabby hands at me while I was trying to watch the music channel. Setting a bad example, much?"

"No fair," she stuck out her tongue, wiggling free as they sprawled across the couch together, a tangled union clad in little more than the barest of essentials.

"If you hadn't made my lemon drop so strong I would've been just fine…. That and you kept kissing my neck on the commercial break."

Unwrapping himself from their melee of sorts, Mikey enjoyed this little moment before pulling himself up from the couch, making for the small collection of movies sat on the shelf beside the TV.

Pulling out a wide selection, he sat them upon the coffee table, looking onward for approval. "I have action, romance… a couple of sci-fi shorts, live concert DVD's. The next couple of hours of my time belong to you, sweetheart."

"How about…."

Tiffany spread the movie collection across the table, running over the cases with a fingertip. "Marley and Me?"

The thought of such a heavy flick before a long day brought Mikey to a shudder. "You had to pick that one… We don't even have a dog back at my uncle's place and that movie still made everyone cry… even my crazy cousin bawled."

The mention of his family got Tiffany's attention. She leaned closer, curious as she held the dual case between her fingers. "Crazy cousin? What's he like?"

"She," Mikey clarified, a cold chill running down his back at the thought of her pale complexion and abundance of piercings. "And that story right there? It's for another day entirely."

Scooping up his Huniebee from the table brought with it a surprise – Jessie's icon on screen, bright and vibrant with three beating hearts underneath. Thinking about her brought something of a thankful feeling, especially since she was responsible for this wonderful situation.

Taking a quick moment between reaching for the DVD and putting it in the player, Mike worked in overtime to read the message she'd sent. Strange, it looked surprisingly heartfelt, nothing like her usual flirty persona of sorts.

'Hey sweetie. It's been a long couple of weeks without you… but I've got some good news. I think I might be making progress with my little girl for the first time in so long. I'll tell you all about it after tonight. Hope you have a good weekend. MUAH! Kisses! x x x'

It was nice to know that Jessie was on the right track too. Seemed like despite everything, their rather intimate meetup and all aside, a glimmer of hope was waiting just over the hill for them both.

Setting down his phone on the coffee table, the magical screen powering off, Mike snuggled up with Tiffany and reached for the remote. "Alright. Movie time."

Lights snapped to life, blazing a wide stage amidst the backdrop of the evening sky. Stars twinkled hopefully, the eyes of thousands of waiting observers fixated upon the centre of a massive stadium. It wasn't just students – people of all ages, shapes, sizes and races filled the stands to bursting, waiting in anticipation – the cheer squad having vacated the field after their halftime routine.

From the corner of his eye, Mike caught sight of Tiffany, blowing a supportive kiss from the side-lines, perched between the eastern stand with a bottle of water.

"Good luck." The words of strength she sent his way, silent yet precious even over the noise, meant so much.

This was the band's largest crowd yet – far beyond the usual couple of hundred at Lusties - or even their big breakout performance at the Overlook across town. This was their step into the big leagues. Local news and camera crews were here for goodness sakes! The Glenberry Stadium in all of its glory was more than half full.

Breathing deep – dressed to the nines with flawlessly gelled hair, a snappy shirt and pressed smart-casual pants, Winters stepped forward, backed by the band's twin guitarists stood at either side, grabbing for the microphone.

"Good evening Glenberry! The team's playing great tonight, am I right?"

A roar swept across the whole of the venue, earth-shattering and passionate in its support – fans stood from their seats with foam gloves, holding beers and blurring air horns.

Such a powerful showing of emotion was enough to bring a surge of adrenaline. Mikey couldn't surpress it – and neither did he want to. A smile curved hips lips upward – and with the suaveness of a tiger, he signalled the stage hand with a snap of the fingers.

"Yeah! That's it! Show your support for the team!"

Another rapturous cheer spilled over – this one even more impressive than the first. To have the crowd under command like this felt amazing. Alive and burning bright, Mikey brought the microphone close to his lips, a perfectly timed chuckle slipping free as the backing track to their first song came to life in a wave of smooth sound.

The stagehands had gotten everything right so far, it seemed – despite their regular sound guy being absent tonight. It was a shame, not having Jamie around and all, but they'd cope.

Casting the thought aside, bathed in the heat of stage lights, the musician came to life in a swirling, almighty mist of talented blue. "This song's called Hero. It's from our first self-titled EP. You guys ever been in love before? It's a great feeling! This one's about a guy that dreams of finding that special someone. Sing along with me, okay?"

Guitars buzzed to life in a dizzying opening arrangement – signalling that it was time for the leading man to begin.

"Showtime…."

Popping the buttons of his shirt – chest on show for the world to see, Mike let the rhythm take him away.

"Have you ever wondered why… your life becomes a fight? Trapped by your own ambitions, struggling to find the light. Do we need a beacon in the Dark? Warmth and comfort in the light."

Spotlights twisted and blurred into shapes, smoke billowing from the stage – timed to add flare to the performance.

"No I don't wanna be a hero! I don't wanna save the world. I just wanna win the girl. Bring me to life with your smile. Those blue sparkles in your eyes. I just want to make you mine."

A very special song for a very special woman – and words couldn't describe how much it meant that she was listening right now. Overloaded, invisible blue snapping and crackling from his body like a storm – Mister Winters kept on rolling with it.

"I felt lost for so very long – staring at the setting sunlight – feeling like I don't belong. Wishing for a new tomorrow while I was chasing empty shadows… dreaming of an angel's song."

Shredding acoustics and thumping bass shook the earth to its core, every camera fixated squarely upon the stage – and all the while, the band threw their passions on the line, giving it all, sweat, tears, body and soul in the hope of delivering an unforgettable experience.

A little audience participation certainly wouldn't hurt, either. Stepping to the front of the stage, Mike threw his arms out wide in a grandiose gesture. "Sing it with me, kay guys?"

"No I don't wanna be a hero! I don't wanna save the world. I just wanna win the girl. Bring me to life with your smile. Those blue sparkles in your eyes. I just want to make you mine."

Every line bounced back in an echo, The audience were right there with him - dangling on a thread in waiting for the every word of the alluring showman.

This was it – no doubt to be the final night spent as the protégé of Kyu Sugardust. With a beautiful girl at his side and his name up on lights, there was no need to remain under the tutorage of his fairy companion. Every word uttered, every song sung, only served to lift what remained of his burdens away. One by one, his invisible chains fell away, allowing the man of pride and devilish charm to cast his eyes onward with hopefullness.

How many people were here for the football game? How many were here for the sole reason of seeing the halftime show? How many more fans would Third Betrayal have by the end of this evening? There were so many wonderful questions to answer.

As the first song faded out, Mike breathed in with vigor, bringing the mic away while one of the stagehands brought him a bottle of water. Quenched by the cooling liquid, he scanned the onlookers for his leading lady.

There she was – Miss Maye in all of her splendor – watching alongside the rest of her squad, waving and cheering in wholehearted dedication.

Smiling bright, the lady-killer made his move, bringing the microphone against his lips. "This one's dedicated to you, Tiffany…."

End of the football game – looking to his silvery watch, Mike let out an exhausted sigh, flopping against an empty seat in one of the furthest western stands. Breathing deep, taking measure of his flustered heartbeat, the vocalist looked to the cloudless sky with a smile.

"No sign of Tiffany just yet… I wonder when she'll-"

Footsteps, soft and paced, came in from the left. Too tired to sit upright, there was little he could do but take note of whoever was coming with a wave of the hand. "Worn out," he exhaled, "Coming down off the adrenaline…. Between singing and the other half of the game… it's been one hell of a night."

"Hey you!"

Two words – uttered almost musically from a voice he'd come to know and love. Invigorated all over again, wanting to at least make a good impression, Mike flew out of his seat in a heartbeat.

"Tiffany! There you are. I figured I'd lost you somewhere."

"Nope," the cheerleader beamed, freshly dressed in her chequered shirt and shorts ensemble, complete with those nice boots. "But we're gonna have to hurry. Mom's driving into town in an hour and my friend Nikki pulled me a favour. She's keeping Nutmeg open late so we can go meet her there."

"Alrighty." Linking arms – Mike looked to the exit across the way. "If I call us a cab now we should be able to make it in time."

"I'm counting on you, handsome."

Nutmeg – the last time in here brought with it a few less than comfortable memories, the shutters slamming down like that was the stuff of nightmares. Regardless, tonight wasn't about that, it was about standing beside the woman he loved, and come hell or high water, Mikey would do just that.

The clattering of porcelain against the little table of corner booth snapped him from his thoughts. Blue eyes, blue hair and a long turtleneck entered his sights – a girl for all intents and purposes that he'd never seen before.

"Here you two go. Coffee and bagels."

Tiffany reached for her wallet, looking to the shy, bespectacled girl with thanks. "How much do I owe you, Ann-Marie? You have no idea how awesome you are, for doing this for me."

"Eh," the barista shrugged – disinterested in her friend's offering. "Forget about it. These are on me. Best of luck though. Just call me over if you need something… no hurry. My new game can wait a few."

"Nikki, I mean it," Tiffany sprang out from her seat, almost suffocating this Ann-Marie girl against her chest. "I totally owe you for this. Anything you want… It doesn't matter what."

A sharp ring of the bell acted as surprise enough for Tiffany's inmate of sorts to escape from the prison of endowment. Shuffling back on her sneakers, she blushed hard, looking across the table. "Call me one day in the week and we'll figure something out. For now… it's quite alright."

Heeled shoes clacked across the hardwood as Nikki vanished from sight – Mikey too nervous to swivel his gaze away from Tiffany. Was this the near legendary matriarch who he'd been told so much about?

"Mom." Well, that tidied things away nice and neatly. "We're over here."

The heels came to a stop, and with them Mikey felt a hand upon his shoulder. "My my… Tiffany Michelle Maye."

That voice – oh dear god. No, it couldn't be. Pulling tight, frozen to the spot, Mike remained a gargoyle in his seat, eyes so horribly wide that no semblance of game face could hide his utter dismay.

'Dear fucking God… No… No way….'

The all too familiar voice blew away on the wind, leaving the blond musician frozen and lifeless – all he could do was stare as the veil lifted, a pair of deepest ocean eyes bringing a tidal wave to crash over his defences.

What made it oh so sickeningly worse was the fact that Tiffany was smiling – or forcing a smile. It didn't matter which. The fact of its happening was beyond words.

Her reaching out and touching his hand did almost nothing, either. "Let me introduce you guys. Mom, this is Mike… and Mikey… this is my mother, Jessica."

'This is my mother, Jessica.'

Like a damming chorus those five words played over and over, swooshing around inside until they crashed and burned in a nauseating heap.

As the elder Maye flipped back her peroxide bangs, sitting as she tucked away her purse and looked onward – Mike could only feel terror as he tried to describe her expression.

Warm and yet oddly removed – distant, but not so far as to say disinterested. Subconsciously, sickness rising in his tummy, his eyes darted from left to right, following her every move, a bead of icy sweat dripping from his forehead in an attempt to reduce his burning heat.

"You certainly did well for yourself, honey... He's handsome..."

Every time she spoke, it only made things worse. Slow and robotic, Mike panned down – trembling as the Jessie reached for his hand, holding it for just the faintest moment before backing away.

"Nice to meet you, cutie. It's Jessie to you…."

Nice to meet him? It was nice to meet him?! What in the holy hell was this? What was she doing? She was playing along with this?

Swirling round and around in a gut wrenching circle, Mikey reached into his pocket for the Huniebee, squeezing it under the seclusion of the table between sweaty palms.

"N-nice to meet you… J-Jessie…."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"Miiiike," distorted didn't even begin to describe Tiffany's voice as it reached his ears. "Sweetie you're not looking so good…. Is everything okay? You're not sick are you?"

This was the Audrey situation multiplied tenfold.

Jessie pulled her gaze away – looking to her daughter with a concern. "Honey… if he's not feeling very well we can always reschedule…. I can free up Wednesday next week if you want."

There was no way to describe the strangely cool, cautious expression overtaking Tiffany's face. Her eyes batted between her mother and back again, the whole scene looking and feeling like something out of a grainy abstract film screen.

"That," she paused, deadly silent for a moment, "That might be a good idea…."

"Mikey," a snap from Tiffany's fingers didn't quite bring him around. "You're not having another attack are you? Mikey? The doors aren't locked…"

"I'm-"

He had to say something, had to keep this situation from getting too far out of hand. "I'm fine…."

"No you're not." Never before had he heard his beloved cheerleader so concerned, so whole-hearted and compassionate. "You're paler than a sheet. Yeah…. Let me call you a cab. We're taking you home."

The fog in his vision finally clearing, at least enough to make things out with a little clarity, Mikey watched as Tiffany reached toward the pocket of her shorts, cursing quietly under her breath. "Darn it. I left my phone in the pocket of my cheer uniform… it's zipped up in my gym bag."

Attention turned to Jessie; she gave a pleading, worried glint of the eyes. "Mom…. Can I borrow yours? Just so I can call for someone to come pick us up?"

All too kind, looking over to Mike in deep thought and then back again, she agreed, dipping into her purse and fishing around – plucking out a shiny, ultra-thin smartphone with a dark screen. "Here you are hon. Cab number's at the bottom of the directory, right next to Frank the Wank."

Rolling her eyes, Tiffany brought the phone close, flicking the screen to life with her finger and scrolling down. "Thanks a bunch. Won't take me a s-"

It was right then and there that the pigtailed beauty stalled – her dainty fingers squeezing tight around the edges of the phone. Eyes wide, pupils as pinpricks, her hands came down against the table, sliding the piece of tech in front of her mother's view.

"Why's Mike's number on your phone?"

Ice – there was no other way to describe how viciously hateful a tone she held.

Slapping her palms against the mahogany, Tiffany narrowed her stare – jabbing her finger against the screen. "Well?"

Music sounded – muffled by the confines of Mike's lap. The vibration crawled down his leg, and without a word to say, he reached upward and brought his Huniebee into sight – placing it down beside Jessie's model in utter silence.

All he could do was look onward – speechless as the cougar's phone dialled and his rang out loudly in buttery vocals. Tiffany refused to relent, her blue icicles punching into the two with unforgiving bitterness.

"Oh god… You have GOT TO BE KIDDING!"

Tiffany shot out of her seat, arms hugged around her chest as she gave full focus to her mother – her vocal chords cracking like glass. "A musician you met in bar? A MUSICIAN! Please tell me this isn't what it looks like."

"Honey…. Listen to me…. It's not as easy-"

Jessie found her hand slapped away so quickly it was almost a blur. Stared into a corner, even the older woman found herself silenced.

"You did, didn't you? I'm not nine anymore Jessica…. You can't brush things under the rug like before."

It didn't take long for Mike to realize Tiffany's glare had switched targets. He could feel her eyes pinning him down, holding him to the seat so that there was no escape. Clawing back his phone, he dared to walk into no man's land, meeting her as best he could.

"I didn't know…. I swear Tiffany I didn't know…. I needed cl-"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW?! What kind of- My own m- My own mother!"

The scene had drawn another onlooker – Nikki poked her head around the corner, slowly and carefully tottering over. "Is everything oka-"

"I- I have to go…."

Edging away, Tiffany reached for her gym bag, slinging it for her shoulder. Before leaving however, she stopped deadly still, slamming her hands against the table - beaming with contempt for Jessica.

"You wonder why I barely come home anymore? This is why! You sink your claws into everything I care about…. It's always been the same…. I can't be happy without you wrecking it! YOU'RE SELFISH!"

She doubled down hard, presenting Mike with one final glance – this one very different from the one she'd given to the matriarch – tears were welling, sliding down her face and pattering against the table top.

"And then there's you…. I don't know what's worse, Mike Winters. The fact that you're cheating on me… after I gave you everything… or me for believing in you all this time…."

Turning her back – a tiny, pained yelp escaping – shoulders stiffened, Jessie's daughter threw her arms around a stunned Nikki, sobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder.

"I'm staying at your place tonight, kay?"

Ann-Marie could do little more than nod, squeezing Tiffany tight like a plush doll. "Whatever you need. My door's always open to you…."

Mike had never seen Tiffany run so fast – she was halfway across the room in a heartbeat, practically clawing at the door for escape. Damn near yanking it off its hinges, she paused in the open doorway, almost staring through the musician.

"How could you? You've made me feel so… dirty…."

Just like that, she was gone – crossing the street and out of sight before he could even blink.

A disgusting, clammy silence hung over the room – Mike looked to Jessie and she looked back, but the air between them was different, apprehensive, careful.

It was slow, but after what seemed like forever, the older woman brought her hand across the table – the soft and motherly expression he'd come to know her for creeping back from the ether.

"Hon…. Talk to me…"

Not a very good idea. Snatching away his Huniebee, Mike slid out from the booth, buttoning his shirt and backing away. He had to get out of here – be anywhere but this forsaken coffee shop.

"I'm going…. Sorry Jess… There's nothing to say..."

Punching his thumbs against the screen, he hovered over the dial icon – the image of a green phone that would act as his savior. Right now, there was only one person who could rescue him from this train wreck.

"Hey playa!"

Kyu Sugardust – his guardian, protector, friend, and damned near the only person he had left at this point. As always, she waited, eager and cheerful. The feeling of comfort her sweet, teasing flare brought to his ears was beyond words.

Nothing on earth would fix what was broken here tonight. Reaching for the handle of the door, Winters turned back on his heels, taking one last look toward Jessie. She hadn't moved from the spot, her usually passionate sapphires this time looking so empty.

"Yo. Mike! You there, dude?"

Brought back to the conversation at hand, the singer tore himself away and departed, stepping out into the cool evening air. "Hey Kyu…. Listen…. You mentioned going to Sky Garden?"

"HELL YEAH! You still up for it?"

Well that was at least a ten on the cheerful scale.

Up for it? Was he still up for it, after everything? Lips curving into a tiny, agonizing smile, Mikey showed his approval in a stiff grunt.

"Definately. Whenever you're ready. Take me to the best bar you know… one with good music. I need the stiffest fucking drink in the world."

"Something happen there, oh great one? You're sounding a little down in the dumps."

How did she know? Could love fairies sense emotions or some crazy shit like that? Breathing deep, eyes dead ahead as he traversed the sidewalk, Mike continued on his way home. He didn't have the strength to tell this story, but he'd at least give Miss Sugardust some credit for her incredible intuition.

"All I'll say is you were right... about everything."

"Never doubt a girl in the love business," she spoke with pride – the audible flutter of her wings coming over the line. "I kept telling you, dude."

"Yeah you did." Turning the corner, passing Lusties Nightclub with a hollow laugh, he paused in thought, looking at the sheer amount of people wanting to get inside. Damn, some of the people from the football game crowd were here.

"You knew all along, didn't you? About Tiffany and Jessie. You were trying to warn me. All that crap about happy endings and being careful what I wished for."

"Yeah… I was."

Her answer only brought more questions. "If that's the case then why didn't you tell me flat out instead of being all flowery?"

An abrupt pause hung over the line – a long, deep sigh following as Kyu seemed to bring the phone close again. "I'll see you when you get back, alright? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Talk about avoiding the question. "C'mon… there's got to be a rea-"

The line went dead.

Shaking his head, Mikey looked up to the clear, starry sky, scoffing with bitterness. "Great… just great."

To be continued….

There you have it. Between you and me, there are plenty of times while writing this chapter when I was going to end up having Mike end up falling into Jessie's web again, but in the end, I decided against it. That doesn't mean I'm against a little Jessie and Mike in future if people want it, however.

While I wrote the song lyrics for this chapter myself, the song that gave me inspiration for the football game scene is called La Bruja, and the song that inspired the end of the chapter is called Jackal. Both were written and performed by a metal band called Illumenium.

As always, if you enjoyed the chapter then you're more than welcome to leave me some feedback. It's been a while since the last update, so I'd really like to hear what you think. Keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio, and I'll see you in the next part of Relationship Problems.